Supreme Court Declines to Hear Challenge on Michigan Voter Rolls Maintenance
The United States Supreme Court has decided not to hear a challenge regarding how Michigan manages its voter rolls, specifically in relation to the removal of deceased individuals from the list of eligible voters.
In an unsigned order, the high court upheld two lower court rulings that dismissed a lawsuit brought by the conservative Public Interest Legal Foundation. The lawsuit alleged that Michigan was in violation of the National Voter Registration Act by still having nearly 26,000 deceased voters on its list of qualified voters.
The lawsuit, filed in 2021, argued that Michigan’s failure to update its voter rolls was compromising “the integrity of the electoral process.” This legal challenge was one of several initiated by conservative groups questioning election practices in battleground states.
The crux of the Michigan case revolved around the requirement of the National Voter Registration Act for states to make reasonable efforts to remove ineligible individuals from voter rolls. The Public Interest Legal Foundation contended that Michigan was not meeting this standard.
Despite the lawsuit’s claims, both a federal district court judge and a panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals supported Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s assertion that the state was adequately maintaining its voter rolls.
In response to the decision, Benson stated, “The claims in this lawsuit were not supported by evidence. They were partisan attacks aimed at undermining people’s faith in our secure elections.”
While there are instances where ineligible individuals may appear on voter lists, voter fraud resulting from these discrepancies is extremely rare. The circuit court determined that Michigan’s efforts to maintain voter rolls aligned with the legal requirements, stating that the state not only met the required standards but also implemented additional measures.
Overall, the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the challenge affirms Michigan’s approach to managing its voter rolls and upholds the integrity of the state’s electoral processes.
